Tips for Parents to Keep Teen Drivers Safe

Parents are being urged to take a more direct approach to keep their kids safe behind the wheel, as part of Teen Driver Safety Week.

The Automobile Association of American has released a list of the "Top Ten Things Parents Can Do To Keep Their Teen Drivers Safe."

According to AAA, car crashes are the number one killer of teens in America. A big part of those crashes are caused by technological distractions. AAA notes: many states are banning the use of cell phones for teen drivers. They say parents should do the same.

"When I was sixteen, it was a hole lot different. You didn't have the cell phones, and much of all that stuff. And now there's too much technology I think," said John Linn, who was picking up his niece at Tascosa High School.

Linn says his niece will soon be driving, and says he's not worried she will be a bad driver. He's more fearful of the other drivers around her.

"I'm kinda scared cause her being out there with all those people who don't drive too well," said Linn.

Another big recommendation is for parents to have an agreement with their son or daughter, including limiting the amount of teens their child can have in their car.

"When you have more than one person in the car, you end up talking and get loud and you're trying to pay attention to them and drive at the same time and it doesn't work very well," said 18-year-old Joshua Tarver.

Tarver just got his license three weeks ago and is ecstatic. His parents reaction?

"They were a little skeptical, just a little bit cause they didn't want me out on the streets at night, hanging out," said Tarver.

Here is the full list of AAA recommendations: 1. Know and understand their teens. 2. Be a positive and responsible role model. 3. Choose a quality driving school. 4. Practice might not make perfect, but it can make for better teen drivers. 5. Keep teen drivers free of teen passengers and off the road at night. 6. Encourage teens to get enough sleep. 7. Eliminate the distractions. 8. Create a parent-teen driving agreement. 9. Set a time each week for discussion and review. 10. Make smart vehicle choice decisions for teens.